Women’s Stairway to Global Impact
All that each woman took to this annual conference was a pair of listening ears. They all left the conference with a can-do spirit and a good measure of selfesteem that should drive positive change. At the recent women conference organised by Daughters of Destiny, titled, ‘Empowering Women for Global Impact’, many inspiring thoughts were expressed by different women who have made their mark.
The Managing and Creative Director of House of Tara International, Tara FelaDurotoye, was one of the guest speakers at the conference held in Lagos. Tara is considered a pioneer bridal make-up artiste in Nigeria. She launched out with a studio which was initially set up to provide beauty services.
Gradually, the initiative snowballed into an international and franchise enterprise comprising of three main lines of business namely the Make-up Studio, the Make-up School and the Tara product line which has a wide range of beauty products and professional make-up kits.
Today, the House of Tara is spread across Nigeria in Lagos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt and Abuja, with emerging footprints on the West African coast in Benin, Ghana and Senegal.
For Tara, it starts with a vision. After her parent’s separation, Tara spent time with her step-mother who had a beauty routine like most women who are conscious of their appearance in public. She developed makeup art as a hobby and later began to earn a living from it at the university.
Speaking on how her dream has changed many women’s lives, she made reference to her interview on CNN’s African Voices. “I didn’t solicit for the interview. I had my voice before CNN discovered it. You need to have your voice,” she declared.
She encouraged the women to have a vision that is impactful and larger-than-life and be avid readers especially in their chosen field of endeavour. Above all, women are to be prayerful and self-disciplined.
“I used to clean the floor of my first shop. That is why I know if someone cleans well or not. You must also lead by example. I arrive early at the office just as I expect from my employees. I have over 100 employees and by the grace of God, since the establishment of the company, we have never owed salaries,” she said.
While recounting how she got the loan to expand her business, Tara revealed that she had an engaging spirit that transmits her infectious vision whenever she discusses her business ideas. Her determination to realise her dream coupled with integrity has also spurred her on. However, she warned the women against being misled by false propaganda but charged them to be purpose-driven.
In the same vein, UK-based speaker, Pastor Obi Pax-Harry directed the women’s attention to biblical examples of women who were change agents. Citing the examples of Priscilla, Deborah and Esther, Pax-Harry emphasised the need for the women to recognise constituted authority and be committed to purpose.
Pax-Harry, like Tara is a trained lawyer who has veered into television evangelism and has become one of the most soughtafter speakers at large interdenominational gatherings. She urged the women to be innovative, distinguishing themselves in whatever they do.
To be sure, the conference was not promoting materialism. The founder, Daughters of Destiny, Apostle Busola Jegede stressed this during the live recording session otherwise known as Mary Company Session.
“It’s not about amassing wealth. It’s about solving social issues such as poverty and unemployment. Whatever you do, do not lose who you are in Christ,” advised Jegede.
She drew examples from her life in the ministry. She had a lucrative career as an event planner and in many church programmes, she was naturally assigned to tasks that would involve strong organisational skills.
“At the age of 40, that was when I felt a lack of fulfillment. I felt there was more to me than this. That drove me to a period of 21 days fasting and prayer. When I found my purpose at 40, my life took a new turn,” she recounted.
In building her vision, she has consistently organised programmes that benefit women spiritually and emotionally. She has since realised that once a woman is not spiritually sound, her entire life course can end in futility. She said a lot of women who are unsure about their purpose in life can ask God to help them identify it. Being passionate about one’s vision is non-negotiable in the quest for success.
“I love preaching. It is when I finish preaching that I remember that I am hungry,” she added.
Tara, who sat beside Jegede during the live session, also pointed out that “overcoming financial challenges is a journey that’s never ending.” She observed that one way to combat this is to source for multiple streams of income.
While recounting her personal experience, she said that she never planned the make-up school. Someone just came to her and offered to pay her to teach her how to execute professional bridal make-up. She returned home that day thinking about the prospect of training others. With loving support from her husband, who is a popular motivational speaker, she decided to embark on training women.
The result is a growing make-up business empire. She became the first make-up artist to make the Forbes’ list of 20 young power women in Africa. At 38, she has expanded her business frontiers beyond Nigeria and has made morning prayers a routine at every branch of House of Tara.
For Apostle Jegede, her ministry is gearing towards radio and television ministry which would reach a larger audience of women.